How long has Copper.Net been in business?
Copper.Net got started in the ISP business back in October of 1994. The “Internet” was not something most people had heard of at that time, but we had a vision of creating a “local CompuServe”. (Nobody thought much of AOL yet) We created a local on-line service called Electronic Country Road, now just ECR, which eventually grew into the first and consistently dominant rural ISP in Knox County, OH. We learned many good lessons through our experience with ECR and in 1997 decided to launch a new project separate from ECR and intended for larger markets. In July of 1997, Copper.Net became the first ISP in Columbus, OH to offer $99 per year Internet access. We were entirely focused on keeping the expenses low, and the process simple. Our biggest problem was justifying to skeptics why our price was so low. We were advised to raise our price to raise our perception of quality. We never did because the low price was what Copper.Net was all about. Having grown into a nationwide provider, couple
